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Do-It-Yourself Genetic Testing Kits Hit Drugstore Shelves

Last week, Walgreens drugstores across the country began selling over-the-counter genetics kits. Purchase one and you can test yourself for genetic risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer. Is this empowering, or just ripe for confusion and misuse? From NBC Chicago:

Soon, your pharmacy shopping list could include a bottle of soda, a candy bar, and a personal genetic testing kit.

Starting Friday, Walgreens shoppers can buy an over-the-counter genetics test from Pathway Genomics at 7,500 stores across the country. Priced at $20 to $30, the kit claims to offer information on users’ possibility of developing conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, or diabetes.